Why Zero1 By Zerodha Quietly Stopped Funding Creators? | ft. Prateek Singh

Prateek Singh, Founder & CEO at LearnApp & Zero1 by Zerodha, joins Bijay Gautam, founder of LeverageX Media, on Digitek presents The Creator Room to break down how to build modern financial media. From partnering with Zerodha to experimenting with creator programs, Prateek shares the playbook behind financial storytelling, building scalable internal operations, and turning complex finance topics into engaging content. In this episode, we discuss: Why treating financial content as education instead of marketing builds long-term audience trust. How Zero1 approaches experiment-driven business models, creator partnerships, and knowing when to pivot. The strategy behind offline events like Zero1 Fest and gamifying complex financial topics. How to build scalable internal systems and data dashboards to streamline media production efficiency. Why creative execution thrives under strict operational constraints rather than a completely blank canvas. The evolution of audience viewing habits toward connected TV and long-form analytical content. How founder-led media companies and creators can build sustainable equity partnerships with larger brands. Whether you're a creator, entrepreneur, finance enthusiast, or media strategist, this conversation offers practical insights into content operations, scalable systems, and building high-trust media brands. About Prateek Singh Prateek Singh is Founder & CEO at LearnApp & Zero1 by Zerodha.He focuses on financial education through narrative driven media, gamified offline experiences, and proprietary tech platforms. With a background in algorithmic trading, Prateek applies system-driven frameworks to scale media production, optimize creative workflows, and build long-term intellectual property in financial media. Chapters - 00:00 – Introduction 01:50 – Why Creator Partnership Stopped? 04:15 – Shifting Focus to a Media Company 08:50 – What Zero1 Is About? 11:50 – The SAL Model Explained 13:30 – Zero1 Fest 16:20 – The Game He Built 18:25 – Swata Organisation Overview 20:30 – Initial Vision Behind Zero1 Fest 24:55 – Will Zero1 Fest Change in the Future? 27:20 – Insights on LearnApp 29:20 – How Zero1 Generates Revenue 30:30 – Expected Outcomes for Zero1 33:30 – Creator Partnerships: Will the Model Work? 36:10 – Three Pillars of a Product Business 38:50 – Team Structure at Zero1 47:00 – Prateek's Best Performing Content 50:00 – Enterprise Brands Partnering with Agencies & Creators 53:08 – How Zero1 & Zerodha Cracked Their Partnership 58:13 – How Creators Should Pitch Brands? 01:02:10 – Final Message Credits Host & Executive Producer: Bijay Gautam Creative Producer: Shail Shukla Editors Trailer Editor: Yash Desai Long-Form Editor: Khalid Khan Short-Form Editor: Harsha Madye Thumbnail Designer: Mayank Masiwal Content Execution: Nakiya Dholkawala -------------------------------------------- About The Creator Room: The Creator Room is India's business-first creator show where we go deep with top creators on monetization, strategy, team building, and the real challenges behind their success. No fluff, no gossip but just honest conversations about revenue, growth, platforms, and what it takes to build a sustainable creator business. Subscribe for frameworks and insights you can actually use. #TheCreatorRoom ---------------------------------------- Social Media: Instagram:   / the_creator_room   X: https://x.com/thecreatorroom